Pneumatic action for pipe organs



Nov. 20, 1928. 1,692,507

. F. LAMONTAGNE PNEUMATIC ACTION FOR PIPE ORGANS Filed p 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 .IE :1: E L

f mm 1 5' if 15 i6 1 15 :1 i9 1 jg Inventor jlwiwkjalm z 126 Attorney Nov. 20, 1928.

F. LAMONTAGNE PNEUMATIC ACTION FOR PIPE ORGANS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 8, 1925 I I f I I 5 A III Inventor Attorney 5 fl'e'd-ic zamontlylw 7 ermeach row of pipes. Beneathea'chp rnn'nnzuc LAMONTAGNE; or

p 1,692,507 PATENT QFFYICIE;

irroircrmmt, QUEBEC, CANADA;

I v a PNEUMAT IC AdTION son PIPE oRoAivs.

Application med September The present invention pertains to a novel mechanism for afiecting apneumatic action in pipe organs. v The principal object ofth e invention'is the fi'provision of a construction or this character operating astop device for c'losingthe pipe of an organ in order to terminate the sounding ofthe pipeQ v j The apparatus comprises a chamber for 10 each pipe of the organ, each chamber containing; a diaphragm forcontrolling' the valve of the corresponding pipe. A conduit board is provided at the bottom of the usual air chest and is formedwith a conduit to 5 Which the u oer faces ofa'lineof diaphragms arewdisposedi At the lower face oi each diaphragmvis a spring which normallyfholds the valve in closed position. Whenair is caused toflowthrou" 'hjthe conduit, it acts 2 on the upper faceso the diaphragm,overbalances-the springs l and opens the valves. The stop action forclosingthe valve'sj 1s obtained through a series of uctsindepfen'dentof the'main conduit and leading" to'the I lower faces of the diaphragm. These ducts receivean independently controlled, air supply, which, when in operation, balances the pressure on'othe'vupper face of the, di-

aphragms. At this time the spring acting 30 on the valve is unbala nc ed andconsequently closes thevalve. c i I I I 'The invention: is tii-lly discldsed inth tlfollowing description and in the accompanying drawings in which: 1' i Y .Figure: 1 isua longitudinal; section" of "a construction made" according" to the invention 'f a FigureQ is a diagrammatic viewoi the usual devices associated with theinvention 1 for operating saidinvention.

Reference to these vi'wswi byuse of like characters which are employed to designate corresponding parts throughout. The numeral 1 indicates theusual' air 2 having a plurality of ,pipe'ports 3 coin municating with the organ pipes 4.

At the bottom of the chestis laced'a conduit board 5 having. a longitu i'nal' conduit b 1 a recess 7 is formedthrough the board 5 For the .purposezof supplying: air to a stop action unit. Y Each recess 7 contains and supports .thelower end'offa' tubularguide member 8 yinthn axistot which is disposed at slidahle' u now be a 1 chest, the top of which, comprises a b'oard" 8,1925. Serial 1%. 55,150.

valve stem 9. "The stem carries a valve 10 at its upper end adapted to control one ofthe ports The upper end of the recess is closed from the chest l'by means of a double disc 11 surrounding the guidemernber and hearing against'thcinner wall of the recess.

The lower extremity of the portion of the guide S'Within the recess 7 is engaged by a spring p1ate 12 which urges the guide upwardly and thereby holds the disc 11 firml in position. At the lower face of the spring" plate is positioned a diaphragm holder' or 7 ring 13 with a washer 14 placed betweeiiit and the bottom of the conduit board 5. To this holder is secured a; diaphragm chamber 15 which clamps a flexible diaphragm 16 betw'een it and the holder. v 9 is passed through the diaphragm and held against it by'meanls' ofa nut 17v threaded on the stem. An expansionspring' 18is' placed between the nut 17 and the bottomof the chainberf thereby "urging the valve upward to closed position.

For each such chamber the conduit'me'rm bar has a vertical duct l9 'exten'din g from the top of the board tothe region of the chairiber-beneath the "diaphragm. This duct is independent of the conduit 6 and out oi communication therewith. o

p The ducts 19 aresealed from the chest 1 by means of air channel members 20 mounted on the top of the boardh. These channels convey compressed air to the du'cts'19 and usual operating devices are provided f at the key boardofthe instrument for controlling thefflow of air through the channels The valve stem v The controlapparatusnoiv to be'desc'i'ibed I is substantially shown and described by [Oliver C. Faust "in' his book A treatise on the construction, repairing and tuning of the organ. v V

The note key is design'edto control the flow of air through the conduit 6 whereby pressure is createdfon the upper surface of the diaphragm. This pressure is greater than the counter-pressure ofthe spring 18, as result-ofwl'iicl'rthe diaphragm is*lowere'd carryingwith itth'e valve stem 9 "and head 10 and thus opening thecorresponding port" 3. a I d i p, o By referring to Figure" 2;" it will? be seen" how the air pressur'e'is supplied to the chest 1 and duct 6, The airisoriginally compressed by the bell s 3 4 and'delivei d to the chest land the a iin'bers 32 arid by aiemisoi the trunks 36; thus, it will be understood that there is, normally, an air pressure inside the said chambers and chest.

When it is desired to sound a certain pipe, the corresponding note key 21 at the keyboard is depressed, thereby closing the contacts 22. The closing of the said contacts will energize the magnet 23, whereby the armature Ql will be drawn upwardly, closing at the same time the aperture 25 and disclosing aperture 26. The aperture 26 being open to the atmosphere, any compressed air originally imprisoned in the chamber 27, will escape and the diaphragm 28 having air pressure on one side only will immediately take a position inside the said chamber, (as shown in dotted lines, Figure 2) there by drawing the valve 29 inwardly and closing the port 30. The complementary valve 31 will be also drawn away "from said port 30,, thereby allowing the compressed air inside the chamber 32 to enter the port 31', the duct 33, then along duct 6 to the upper surface of the diaphragm ot' a selected organ pipe.

As explained before, the air pressure on top of the diaphragm will lower th same against the tension of the spring 18, the rod 9 and valve 10 will also affect a downward movement thereby opening the port 3. The air, under pressure, inside the chest 1 will then enter the pipe 4 and cause same to sound.

hen the note key, at the keyboard, is

released, the contacts will accordingly be opened, and the magnet, receiving no flow of current from the battery 22 will drop the armature 2 1-, thereby closing the aperture 26. The compressed air now enters the chamber 27 through the open aperture 25 and equalizes the air pressure on both sides of said diaphragm 28, which by virtue of its natural curvature will assume the position shown in Figure 2, whereby the valve 31 will close the port 31 and shut poll the air necessary to sound the organ pipe, thereby silencing same.

Up to now, it was assumed that all the pipes of the same note weresounded in all the registers, which means that all the step knobs, at the organ keyboard, were pulled out.

Supposing now, that it is wanted to play a certain sot't selection and't-hat it is desired to use pipes of a mellow tone. All the step knobs being pushed home, I select, for instance, Angel voices and Celesta, as being adapted to properly render the selection. The corresponding step knobs are accordingly pulled out. By doing this, the contacts 38 will be short-circuited by the brass ball 37 and the magnet 89 thereby energized. As described before, the armature will close the upper aperture and one side of the diaphragm 40 will be in communication with the atmosphere while the other side bcing under pressure, said diaphragn'i l0 will assume the position shown in dotted lines, Figure 2. This movement of the diaphragm will open the port 11 and close 4:2, by means of the valve 43. The duct all being in turn openrto the atmosphere will allow the escape of any air therein and under the diaphragm 16 Now, it we depress note key, at the keyboard, air will be admitted on top of the diaphragm 16, thereby sounding the corresponding pipe, as before described. All the other pipes ol? the same note, the corresponding step knobs oi": which were not pulled out, will be silent, {or the following reason. lVhcn the brass ball 3. is disengaged from the contacts 38, the magnet 39, receiving no flow of current from the battery 22, will drop its armature thereby closing the lower aperture and opening the upper one. Air is then admitted to the right side of diaphragm 1O, equalizing the pressure on both sides of said diaphragm. Said diaphragm will then cause the valve 4-3 to close the port all and open a2, as already explained.

The port 12 being open, compressed air will enter said port, issue in duct 1 1 to the under race of diaphragm 16. Now, if any air is admitted on top of said diaphragm, the pressure on both sides of same will be equalized, and the spring 18 will tend to force said diaphragm upwardly thereby closing port 3 by means of valve 10, and rendering the corresponding organ pipe ineffective.

lVhile a specific embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it is to be understood that various alterations in the details of construction may be made without departing from the spirit otthe invention as indicated by the appended claims.

Having thus fully described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is z'- 1. A pneumatic action for pipe organs comprising in combination with an air chest and an organ pipe communicating therewith, an air conduit member, an air chamber intersecting said conduit, a diaphragm having one side exposed to said chamber, said member having a duct independent of the conduit and leading to the other side of said diaphragm, a valve connected to said diaphragm and adapted to engage directly the inlet of said pipe, and a chamber containing compressed air. 7

2. A pneumatic action for pipe organs comprising in combination with an air chest and an organ pipe communicating therewith, an air conduit member, an air chamber intersecting said air conduit, a diaphragm chamber disposed beneath the air chamber and exterior of said conduit member, a diaphragm supported in the diaphragm chamber and having one side exposed to the air chamber, said conduit member having a duct inde endent of the conduit and entering the 'diap ragm chamber at the other side of the diaphragm, a valve connected to said diaphragm and adapted to control said pipe, and a chamber containing compressed air.

.3. A pneumatic action for pipe organs comprising in combination with an air chest intersecting said air conduit, a dia hragm and an organ pipe communicating there: wlth, an air conduit member, an air chamber chamber disposed beneath the airciamber and exterior of said conduit member, a diaphragm supported in the diaphragm chamher and having one side exposed to the air chamber, said conduit member having a duct independent of the conduit and enteringthe I diaphragm chamber atthe other side of the diaphragm, a valve connected to said dia-' phragm and adaptedto control said pipe, a spring in a the diaphragm chamber and adapted to bring the valve to closed position, and a chamber containing compressed air.

4. A pneumatic action for pipe organs comprising in combination with an air chest and an organ pipe communicating there with, an air conduit member, an air chamber intersecting said air conduit, a diaphragm chamber disposed beneath the air chamber and exterior of said conduit member, a diaphragm supported in the diaphragm chamber and having one side exposed to the air chamber, said conduit member having a duct independent of the conduit and entering the diaphragm chamber at the other side of the diaphragm, a valve connected to said dia- 'phragm and adapted to engage directly the inletof said pipe, a spring connected to said valve and adapted to bring the valve to closed position, and a chamber containing compressed air.

5. A pneumatic action for pipe organs hand.

FREDERIC LAMONTAGN E. 

